Cistern or catch-basin cleaner.



J. H. WIEST. GISTERN 0R CATCH BASIN CLEANER.

APPLICATION FLED JULY 5, 1910.

' 1,021,960, y l Patented Apr.2,1912.

' WWP' U f/II WITNESSES: '26 9 I J2 INI/ENTOR- .WA M

ATTORNEY.

coLuMnm PLANUGRAI'H cu., WASHINGTON. x). c.

JONAS H. WIEST, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

i CISTERN 0R CATCH-BASIN CLEANER. i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 5, 1910. Serial No. 570,235. f

-water cisterns, catch basins, or water tanks, the invention having reference particularly to apparatus whereby cisterns or kthe like may be cleaned in a measure automatically, and whereby the sediment may be removed by'manual operations at will. y

The object of the invention is to provide improved relatively cheap apparatus for cleaning cisterns, or the like, as frequently as they become full of water and overflow,

' and whereby more thorough cleaning operations may be carried on at pleasure and particularly at times when the water is at a low stage, a further object being to provide4 an improved cistern cleaner thatv will be adapted to be operated readily and which at times will operate automatically without requiring attention. f

With the above-mentioned and other ob jects in View, the invention consists in an improved cistern or catch basin cleaner comprising certain novel features of construction, and in novel parts and combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter particularly described and then pointed out in the accompanying claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure lis a vertical central sectional viewof a cistern built in the ground and having the improved cleaning apparatus connected therewith; Fig. 2, a vertical central sectional view of one of the parts of the cleaner; Fig. 3, an inverted plan view of the part shown in the preceding ligure Fig. 4, a fragmentary vertical central sectional view of the complete cleaning apparatus; Fig. 5, a top plan of one of thev parts of the apparatus; and Fig. 6, a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the principal parts1of the apparatus.

Similar reference characters in the different figures of the drawings indicate corresponding elem'ents or features of construction referred to herein.

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates the bottom, 2 the side, 3 the top, and 4 the neck ofthe cistern; 5 indicating the inlet pipe through which water may ass into the cistern; 6, the overliow pipe or carrying oif the surplus watervwhen the cistern is approximately full, and 7 indicating a pipe through which water may be drawn from the cistern by a pump in the usual manner.V l n The improved cleaning apparatus comprises a ,bell-shaped annularl base 8 having notches 9 in the edge of the wall of its flared larger end which rests on the bottom 1 of the cistern, the notches permitting Patented Apu-2, 1912.`

water and sediment-ary matter to enter the base. The upper portion of the base has a neck 10 at the lower end ofwhich is a shoulder 11 for supporting a pump, the base having also a tube .12 which projects from the upper smaller portion of the base downward nearly to the bottom of the'larger portion of the base, the neck 10y and the tube 12 forming a continuous passage upward through the base, the passage preferably being of less diameter at its lower end than at its upper end and adapted to form a part of the pump. The base preferably has a number of bolt-holes 13, 14, 15, and also an annularseat 16 facing upward on the exterior of the larger end portion thereof but as will hereinafter appear either the holes lor the seat may not be required. An annular bell-shaped or flared pipe-end 17 is provided which has a greater diameter than the base 8 Vand extends about the base in such a position as to be slightly above the bottom l ofthe cistern to form an annular passage around the exteriorvof the base, the pipe-end preferably having projections 18,119, 20, on the inside of the larger end thereof that rest on the seat 16, the upper v19, 20, are omitted the bolts have spacing thimbles 28 thereon extending from the base 8 to the pipe-end 17 for holding the two parts in the desired relative positions.

When the base is inserted into an empty cistern the pipe-end may be readily placed thereon separately and need not be bolted to the base, but it may bey desirable to bolt the two parts together when they are to be placed in an old cistern well filled with water. A pump barrel 29 is provided that has an annular valve seat 30 in the lower portion thereof on which a foot valve 31 is mounted in any suitable manner, and the pump barrel has an extension 32 thereon adapted to fit over the neck l0 of the base S removably, the upper end portion of the pump barrel having a discharge spout 33 thereon. A pump rod 34e is inserted in the pump barrel and has a leather bucket or sucker 35 on its lower end and an operating handle 36 on its upper end, the pump being constructed substantially like the well known form of bilge-water pumps.

In practical use the pump may be o-rdinarily omitted from the apparatus and kept in readiness for use when desired, and ordinarily in the absence of the pump when the cistern becomes full of water the surplus Water will seek an outlet and pass through the notches 9 and up through the tube l2, and between the base and the pipe-end 17 t-he water carrying with it much of the sedimentary matter out through pipe 22 and the branch pipe 23 into the drain pipe 6, which operations will be repeated each time the cistern becomes replenished with water, so as to raise the level of the water above the overflow pipe, the pressure of the water in the cistern causing a rapid flow up through the pipe 23, so as to remove much of the sediment from the bottom of the cistern, leaving the bulk of the water clean and in good condition for use. During scarcity of rain the cistern may be filled by means of a hose, and if the cistern be nearly empty a rod may be inserted through the pipe 22 and down through the base to loosen 0r stir the sediment, or the hose may be let down for the same purpose and the matter loosened by means of a stream of water directed against the bottom of the cistern. Vhen it is desired to clean the cistern thoroughly the pump barrel should be connected to the neck 10 of the base and the pump operated in the usual manner,l and it may be desirable while pumping to throw a stream of water onto the bottom of the cistern either outside of the pipe 22 or between the pump barrel and the inner side o-f the pipe. If desired, of course, the pump may be allowed to remain permanently in the cistern, in which case the sediment will automatically pass out through the pipe 22 around the pump barrel, and the pump may then be operated occasionally with good results.

It will be understood that in the absence of the pump, the cross-sectional area of the pipe 22 is greater than the combined area of the passages in and around the upper portion of the base l0, so that the water and sediment may pass rapidly through the relatively short passages into the longer and larger pipe, circulation and outflow of sedimentary matter being induced by the tube l2 which enlarges upward, the twobellmouthed parts covering considerable area and contributino` to the improved results.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is-

l. A cistern cleaner including an annular flaring base having notches in the edge of the larger end thereof, the smaller end being adapted to have a pump-barrel connected thereto, and a pipe having a flaring pipe-end on one end thereof that extends about the Haring base at a distance therefrom, to form passages through and also around the base tothe pipe, the opposite end portion of the pipe having a lat-eral branch-pipe thereon.

2. A ciste-rn cleaner including an annular flaring base having notches in the edge of t-he larger end thereof, the smaller end being adapted to have a pump barrel connected thereto, and having also a tube therein extending from the smaller end toward the larger end thereof, and a pipe having a flaring pipe-end on one end thereof that extends about the flaring base at a distance therefrom, to form passages through and also around the base to the pipe, the opposite end portion of the pipe having a lateral branch-pipe thereon.

3. A cistern cleaner including an annular flaring base' having notches in the edge of the larger end thereof, the exterior of the base having an annular seat thereon facing toward the smaller end of the base to receive the end of a pump-barrel, a flaring pipe-end having projections on the inner side of the larger end thereof engaging the annular seat, the pipe-end extending about the base, and a pipe connected to the pipe-end and having a lateral branch-pipe thereon.

4. A cistern cleaner comprising an annular flaring base having notches in the edge of the larger end thereof, and having also a tube therein extending from the smaller end toward the larger end thereof, a flaring pipe-end extending about the base at a distance therefrom and supported by the base, a pipe connected to the smaller end of the flaring pipe-end and having a lateral branch-pipe thereon, and a pump comprising a pump -barrel extending through the pipe and connected to the smaller end of the base and thereby forming connection with the tube.

5. A cistern cleaner comprising an annular flaring base having notches in the edge of the larger end thereof, and having also a tube therein extending from the smaller pip end toward the larger end thereof, a Haring pipe-end extending about the base and secured thereto at a distance therefrom, a pipe connected to the smaller end of the Haring pipe-end and having a lateral branch-pipe thereon, a pump-barrel in the e and connected to the smaller end of the base and thereby forming connection with the tube, the pump-barrel extending beyond the pipe and having a spout thereon, a foot-valve mounted in the pump-barrel, a pump-rod in the pump-barrel, and a JONAS H. WIEST.

Witnesses:

E. T. Simms, J. H. GARDNER.

Washington, D. C.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 

